1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector.
2. The Prior Art
Electrical connectors of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,557 are well known in the electronics field. As shown in FIG. 8 of the attached drawings, the '557 connector generally comprises an insulative housing 71 having a base section 72 and two end blocks 74. Each end block 74 defines a bore 75 for receiving a locking block 73 which has a latching arm 76 extending beyond a front face 78 of the housing 71 for engaging with a mating connector (not shown). The locking block 73 defines an inner-threaded hole 70 for receiving and engaging with a bolt (not shown) for securing the connector to a circuit board (not shown). The locking block 73 and the latching arm 76 are integrally formed by means of plastic molding whereby the hook 76 has a poor mechanical strength and may be easily broken. Furthermore, the connector is secured to the circuit board by means of bolts whereby the assembly thereof is laborious and time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,639 discloses an electrical connector wherein the latch is made of metal which overcomes the mechanical deficiency problem of the '557 patent. However, the '639 connector is still secured to a circuit board by means of bolts thereby hindering the assembly process for mounting the connector to the circuit board.
It is thus desirable to provide an electrical connector that is readily mounted to a circuit board.